PowerBook G3 "Pismo"

[LarBob]

Hi, I just got this PowerBook yesterday for $10. It's the 500 MHz version. I put 9.2.2 on it, added some more RAM, and added an Airport card and it's become a great little machine (not that it wasn't already...).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8EH5JSwSHI

I wish I had a working battery for it though, the machine has 2 dead batteries installed currently.

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

SWEET! A $10 Pismo/500 is quite the conquest. ;D

Since you're currently tethered to AC anyway, hook it up to a monitor that will do 1600x1200@24bit and close the lid as it boots. That's Clamshell mode which couples the internal/external VRAM complements to pump out half a gazillion deep, beautiful pixels.

Good luck finding or re-celling your bats, a Pismo shouldn't be permanently tethered to a TPD.

 

[unity]

Nice score! Love the Pismo. Used one for years, heck I still have it. Was the first machine I replaced the backlighting on, the first PowerBook I over-clocked and the first machines I paid to have a G4 upgrade done on. Really loved the thing!

 

[LarBob]

SWEET! A $10 Pismo/500 is quite the conquest. ;D

Since you're currently tethered to AC anyway, hook it up to a monitor that will do 1600x1200@24bit and close the lid as it boots. That's Clamshell mode which couples the internal/external VRAM complements to pump out half a gazillion deep, beautiful pixels.

Good luck finding or re-celling your bats, a Pismo shouldn't be permanently tethered to a TPD.

Thanks! I hope I find a battery as well...

 

[LarBob]

Nice score! Love the Pismo. Used one for years, heck I still have it. Was the first machine I replaced the backlighting on, the first PowerBook I over-clocked and the first machines I paid to have a G4 upgrade done on. Really loved the thing!

I really like it as well. How would I even find a G4 upgrade today? 

 

[unity]

While I dont specifically look for them, they seem rare. But I think some are sold accidentally as G3 cards. I say this because one popular upgrade involved sending your CPU card out then the company desolders the G3 and installs a G4. When they did this to mine, I dont recall any special labels to make it stand out about having it done. So its possible Pismo CUP cards on eBay have been upgraded in this way but identified/sold as a G3.

 

[LarBob]

While I dont specifically look for them, they seem rare. But I think some are sold accidentally as G3 cards. I say this because one popular upgrade involved sending your CPU card out then the company desolders the G3 and installs a G4. When they did this to mine, I dont recall any special labels to make it stand out about having it done. So its possible Pismo CUP cards on eBay have been upgraded in this way but identified/sold as a G3.

Wouldn't it be possible to make your own daughter cards if you had the know-how? 

 

[unity]

You would not be able to "make" your own cards, there is way too much work in there. But if you have an rework station you could probably install a G4 yourself.

Or just buy the upgrade. Looks like they still offer it!

http://fastmac.com/pismo.php

Interesting read:

http://lowendmac.com/ed/bashur/12db/pismo-unicorns.html

And more interesting:

http://www.mactech.com/2006/09/19/diy-powerbook-g3-pismo-g4-upgrade

SIDE NOTE: If you ever decide to move the multipliers for the CPU card, its not hard at all. Just toss those "resistors". They are o-ohm, meaning they really are not resistors. So once you know that, its much eaasier just creating a solder bridge instead of placing those little buggers. This is almost always the case for any Apple CPU over-clocking work.

 

[LarBob]

You would not be able to "make" your own cards, there is way too much work in there. But if you have an rework station you could probably install a G4 yourself.

Or just buy the upgrade. Looks like they still offer it!

http://fastmac.com/pismo.php

Interesting read:

http://lowendmac.com/ed/bashur/12db/pismo-unicorns.html

And more interesting:

http://www.mactech.com/2006/09/19/diy-powerbook-g3-pismo-g4-upgrade

SIDE NOTE: If you ever decide to move the multipliers for the CPU card, its not hard at all. Just toss those "resistors". They are o-ohm, meaning they really are not resistors. So once you know that, its much eaasier just creating a solder bridge instead of placing those little buggers. This is almost always the case for any Apple CPU over-clocking work.

I didn't mean I could do it, I just meant theoretically. Thanks for the info.

edit: What he did in that last link with a BGA rework station is what I meant by "making your own". Thanks for the info!